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Nick
“Hello, children,” I say, sliding into a seat next to Leigh at the lunch table. She leans over and kisses me, but no one says anything. “Wow, everyone is in a great mood.”
“Nauseous,” Leigh mumbles. I immediately start rubbing her back and she drops her head, letting her body relax.
I look over at my brother who, with one eye half-open, says, “Harper hasn’t slept more than an hour at a time in three days.”
Maia yawns and nods.
What a lively bunch.
Unable to resist the urge to give my brother some shit, I say, “You do realize you have a bed and an entire room that’s not in Maia’s apartment, right?”
He sits straight up and glances at Maia, who looks back at him. Some odd uncertain look passes between them. My brother clears his throat. “I know. But I like… staying there.” His voice is a solid octave too high, and Leigh’s head shoots up at the sound of it. She looks between Vince and Maia, but then she and Maia have some silent conversation with their eyes and Leigh smiles and squeezes her hand.
I look at my brother for some kind of clue, but he gives me nothing in return.
Alrighty then.
“So, who’s excited for prom?”
My eyes meet Maia’s and she smirks at me.
Leigh grumbles. “Mm. So excited. Can’t wait to squeeze into a skin-tight prom dress with myfullerstomach and let the rumors fly. Or have to deal with half the people in our class I want nothing to do with.” Then she softens and looks at me. “I just want to go to dance with you.”
“I second that sentiment,” my brother says. Then he looks at Maia, and in a husky voice that makes me want to vomit, says, “I just want to see you in a sexy dress.”
I make an exaggerated retching noise that makes them both roll their eyes.
“Well, since we’re all feeling the same way about this, I have good news. Maia and I have come up with an alternate plan.”
“Don’t worry,” Maia says, “you still get to see me in a sexy dress.”
“Then I’m in,” Vince says quickly.
Leigh glances at me. “What is this alternate plan?”
Maia and I smile at each other and tell them what we’re thinking. They both agree that it sounds better than our original plan.
Pleased with myself, I look around. A bit further down the table are Rae and Aaron and all of their friends. In between them and us sit Trevor and his best friends, Hyla, Greg, and Jenny.
I glance back at Maia, Vince, and Leigh. Leigh’s head is on my shoulder as she nibbles on crackers. Maia and Vince are being nauseating and whispering to each other.
It’s strange to think that next year I’ll be here without them.
Next year, I’ll also be a dad.
“You okay, baby?” Leigh murmurs in my ear.
My body warms, and I’d like to throw her on the table and kiss the hell out of her.
“I’m good. Are you okay?”
“Just tired.” But I can see a little lie in her eyes. I know our relationship hasn’t been what either of us expected. We had to go from the fun in-love stage to the serious-commitment stage faster than either of us wanted.
We might be doing prom differently now, but I’m still going to do my best to spoil her, to make it special. She deserves to be fucking worshipped, and I’m going to try not to fall short of that.
